Eavesdropping
by Sandra Phillips
Summary: Asami very barely resisted the urge to barge into the room and demand why her boyfriend was meeting with another girl, in secret, in her own house, at this hour. The nerve of that jerk, and just who did the Avatar think she was! Instead, her eyes narrow, she put her ear to the door and listened.


Asami was simmering.

She _liked _Korra. She had always _liked_ Korra. She was buff, unafraid, feminine, the Avatar, and best of all, _a probender. _But ever since that Water Tribe bimbo had gone around seducing her boyfriend, her estimation in Asami's eyes had dropped like a satomobile off the cliffs of Airbender Island.

Okay, so maybe she wasn't being entirely fair. Korra _had_ met Mako before her, and _had_ known him longer, and in all honesty, it was Mako who was being the total jerk, not Korra. But Asami couldn't help but hate her. Hate both of them.

So, it was in this pot of angst and rage that she was currently boiling, pacing back and forth in a hallway of her mansion outside her old room. Why was she here again, the place that she had discovered her father was a no-good low-down criminal (albeit an _evil mechanical genius_ criminal), the place that her mother had been killed, the place she had picked up that Equalist glove and it fitted her perfectly, the place that held so many happy and bad memories alike that they mingled into one bittersweet feeling? Oh, that's right; because _Korra_ had thought that the place the Equalists would least expect them would be the place they had already looked. And of course, Mako had jumped right on that Korra-bandwagon, and wherever Mako went, Bolin followed, so the last member of Team Avatar II had been left to drive them all there and deal. And simmer the whole way.

"Stupid Equalists." She kicked the wall, giving herself a bloody toe and cursing through gritted teeth as she turned around and hobbled down the hallway again, holding her foot, totally aware that this was not a dignified thing to do. Because the Equalists, no matter which one she was fighting, no matter how many she had defeated before, still came at her in a calm, collected manner – totally different from anyone she'd ever fought before. Even in the face of near-certain doom, they would approach her just like the previous ones had, never hesitating, never cracking under the pressure. Even their fighting style was loose and fluid, nearly getting the upper hand on her several times. How did they manage to stay so composed? She scowled at the opposite wall.

"Stupid Dad." She punched it, satisfied to see the drywall crack and several small chunks peel away and fall to the lush carpet, revealing the concrete beneath. She turned around and smiled, aware that it was not the most ladylike way to act. But why would she care? Her dad had always told her, _"You're like a son to me, Asami. How many dads are blessed with a girl who will work in the shop with them, and get down and dirty? How many girls your age ride motorcycles or drive half as well as you do? How many of them are probender fans for the theory and technique, instead of the men?"_ He would pat her on the back, and she wouldn't stumble forward with the force like several of his (male) associates, and he would lean forward with a twinkle in his eye to ask conspiratorially, _"How many of them could beat those probenders hands down, without their __**precious little gift**__?" _

Asami grimaced. He hadn't noticed when she had started wearing make-up, or going to the salon, or wearing pink instead of black and brown. He hadn't really noticed when she had started bringing guys home, except to try and conscript them into working on a new project with him. Because that was for normal girls. And she wasn't a normal girl. She was a tough girl. She was a fighter. She wasn't _feminine. _She glowered at the stupid wall that had bruised her, on the other end of the hall.

"Stupid Korra." How did that girl manage it? Running around, being Republic City's hero all day long, fighting in the probender tournaments that had been _Asami's dream since the day she could walk_, and then coming home and tossing those pretty little ponytails around with a swish of her head and pushing her overlarge breasts into other people's faces? Why did she get to be strong _and_ gorgeous? Why was Asami the only one left out? With a near-silent growl of frustration, Asami slapped the light sticking out of the wall and the glass shattered at her feet.

She stared dumbly at her cut hands for a moment, seeing the tips of her boots through her outstretched fingers, shaking in anger and frustration. Not strong enough, not girly enough, not _good enough. _A drop of blood dripped onto the carpet.

"-with you, Korra?"

Asami picked up her head, ears practically twitching. That had been Mako's voice. Mako _talking to Korra._ The girl gritted her teeth, rage virtually streaming through every vein, and stormed silently over to the door of the room he was in.

"Mako, I don't know what you're talking about. _You're_ the one that wanted to talk to _me,_ remember?"

Asami very barely resisted the urge to barge into the room and demand why her boyfriend was meeting with another girl, in secret, in her _own_ house, at this hour. The nerve of that jerk, and just who did the Avatar think she was? Instead, her eyes narrow, she put her ear to the door and listened.

"I just wanted to say… well…" Mako stumbled over his words. Asami soundlessly rolled her eyes and thought several horrible insults about him in the space it took for him to recover. "Things have been awkward in the team lately. I know this is because… because I'm with Asami, and you and I had that one kiss, and ever since then…."

"You still think I'm jealous," Korra butted in bluntly. Asami felt her hands ball into fists at her side, barely aware of the action. There was a moment's pause, in which Asami held her breath.

"Yeah," Mako finally said, sounding slightly defensive. Asami heard a sigh, and it sounded like Korra, though she couldn't be sure.

"Alright, Brow Boy; listen up, cuz I'm only gonna say this once." There was a pause. "Whatever happened between you and me, and whatever may happen later, is not important." Mako tried to talk, and Korra continued over him, "Don't get me wrong, Mako, I still have feelings for you, and I probably always will. At least, that's what I always thought about love."

Asami, outside the door, fingered the electric component of her glove, sorely tempted just to jump in and shock the _hell_ out of her-

"But right now, it's not about me." Korra laughed a little, though it had sad undertones that Asami could pick up through the wooden door. "It was always about me before, Mako, you know that. You _know_ I was an insufferable, spoiled little brat before I met you, and even for a while afterwards."

Mako snorted in some sort of affirmative manner.

"And I know that no matter what you feel for me, back when we kissed, I _know_ you kissed me back, and I know you liked it, and I know you wanted more right then." Mako tried to protest, and again, Korra barreled over him. "But like I said, Mako, that's not what this is about. This is about how our team is acting _right now._ That one little kiss nearly screwed us over for the championship – you know how it affected us. Well, that's what it's doing to our new team, and it's killing me that you're making the same mistake over again."

"I don't get it, Korra," Mako growled, seemingly determined to get a word in. Asami perked up at the sound of his voice despite herself. "I thought you'd _want _me to like you. That sure seemed like your goal a few weeks ago."

"Do you like me?" came Korra's unabashed question.

Asami found her whole body tense, every muscle seized. A second passed, and another, and another. Finally, so soft she barely heard it, Mako breathed, "Yes."

Asami stood up, fully prepared to storm away, when Korra's voice cut through her movement. "And do you like Asami?"

Asami stopped midstep and turned back, seeming like her whole world balanced on the answer. The break wasn't as long this time, and sounding – were those tears she heard in his voice? – confused, he said, "Yes."

Briskly, Korra took back the conversation. "Look, Mako, I get what you're going through. It's tough liking two people at once, especially when you like them equally and they are both so similar and yet so different. You feel like you're being torn two ways at once, feeling like once second you couldn't love anyone but the person you're thinking of, and the next remembering another's face and feeling so unsure… it's goddamn torture, I know. But you need to think about which of us, in this moment, needs you more. Me? Or Asami?"

There was a half a second pause, and Korra ordered, "Don't answer that."

Mako stumbled over his half-baked response.

"The answer is Asami," Korra said, gently. "Asami needs you right now. Asami loves you and deserves you, and honestly, you've been treating her like trash lately. She's your girlfriend, Mako. Stop being a jerk and act like it."

Silence filled the room. Silence filled the hallway outside. Everything was utterly still.

"ASAMI!"

Asami jumped a foot in the air and flew to her feet, clamping a hand on the earthbender's mouth. "Shush, Bolin!" she whispered urgently, barely above the thundering pounding of her heart. She sighed in relief, trying to calm down.

"Mhmmhhhmmhmhm?" Bolin mumbled against her hand, green eyes wide and eyebrows raised.

Asami guessed that he was asking why he had to be quiet, one of his least favorite activities, and considered what to tell him for a brief moment. But Bolin already knew where she stood on the matter of her brother and the Avatar, so why not be totally truthful? She had nothing to hide from him. "Mako and Korra are in that room." She gestured to the large wooden door she had been leaning against with her head.

Understanding dawned in his eyes, and Asami hesitantly took her hand away, feeling it safe enough. As soon as his mouth was free, he hissed, "What are they doing in there?" His eyes fell on the door and narrowed. "I don't care how much they like each other, if Korra is doing _anything _to my brother when he's dating you I'm gonna-"

"They're just talking," Asami cut in, before he could get into his protect-Mako-mode. "As far as I could hear, anyway."

An evil grin spread across Bolin's face, and out of nowhere Pabu appeared around his collar, as if mischief was his cue. "Let's listen," he whispered. Excitedly, the two humans and one fire ferret hurried back over to the door and slid down to the floor next to it, ears pressed to the wood.

"-for coming and talking to me Korra. I… needed this."

Some footsteps, a dull thump that could have been Korra patting Mako on the shoulder, or Mako giving her a hug. "No problem, Mako." Her tinkling laugh. "But when you finally come around and dump her, I'll be ready."

"Not for a while," Mako said teasingly. "Heck, maybe never. Asami is… Asami is…." He trailed off, sounding for all the world like a totally lovestruck fool.

"Asami is wow," Korra concurred. "Now, I'm leaving. Glad we have this straightened out, Brow Boy."

Her footsteps approached the door.

Bolin and Asami shared a terrified, wide-eyed glance.

Bolin grabbed her hand, rocketed to his feet and dragged her with him, split the wall in front of them with a swipe of his hand, pulled them through, and closed it again.

Safely on the other side, Asami and Bolin fell against the newly-broken-and-repaired wall with a bout of nervous laughter. Finally, they suppressed their adrenaline enough to talk again, and Asami hissed, "That was a close one…!"

"Yeah!" Bolin agreed with a wide grin, running a hand through his hair. He pushed off the wall and put a hand on Asami's shoulder, beaming. "Well, at least we are both satisfied that Mako is being well-behaved," he said. "No worries there, for the time being."

"Yep!" Asami quipped, suddenly feeling a lot better, though whether it was because of the overheard *cough, eavesdropped, cough* conversation, or being in Bolin's company, she couldn't be sure. The earthbender had that effect on people. Suddenly, her smile turned mischievous, and she punched Bolin lightly in the arm. "Gives you time to go after Korra, huh?"

"That's right!"

"So… see you round?"

"Yep."

The two regarded each other for a second, then split back into smiles. "Gonna go talk to Mako?" Bolin asked, his voice teasing.

"Gonna go find Korra?" Asami responded.

They shared a moment in which they totally understood each other, and then ran off down separate hallways grinning.

Asami once more retraced her steps down the hallway she had paced endlessly that night. This time, she wasn't simmering or muttering under her breath, threatening violence to the walls that were her turning points. She was going to go through that door, throw herself in Mako's arms, and feel happy and loved instead of angry and jealous. And when she saw Korra the next day, she was going to take her out for a girl's day, just the two of them, at her favorite spa.

Asami was very pleased.

* * *

A/N: Oh my gosh, did I actually manage to write a story with no breaks?

Yeah, so... I know I said I wasn't going to upload this summer. Turns out, writer's block SUCKS. In _weeks_ of summer, I've written about a _page_ on my book. So, I watched the latest LoK episode, and had to write this. I tried to highlight some of each of the characters' internal problems (mostly Asami's), and even include a bit of every pairing within the team. Something like this should happen, because otherwise I could totally see Asami going crazy-vengeance on the team and turning to the Equalists - which would really suck, because she can be pretty boss when she wants to be. Plus, I like her on Team Avatar II. (That, or somehow, Iroh's gonna get thrown into the pairing mix... oh no, headache coming on...)

And hey, the site finally got around to adding LoK, instead of putting it under AtLA. HEAR THAT PEOPLE? **PUT IT IN LoK, NOT AVATAR! GOT THAT?**

I'm not... very... proud of this one, but it was just a one-shot to act as a mental lubricant, so what does it really matter anyway?

REVIEW, and let me know what you think!


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